"Weather"...You Like It Or Not

...It Snowed!

These pictures were taken right by our apartment, but all of New York and most of the eastern seaboard was plummeted with snow - the biggest of the season - even as Spring approaches. Universities, schools, some businesses and most preschools were closed. Area airports canceled numerous flights and experienced countless delays. The Long Island Railroad had rare delays due to blowing and drifting snow and problems with frozen switches and added an additional eight trains from Manhattan east to Long Island beginning in the early afternoon to get commuters through the storm.

Our Institute Training meeting was canceled this morning, sparing us the (normal) hour drive each way into Queens. And as things didn't improve at all during the day, our texting back and forth to our students at the Marine Academy resulted in the decision that it would not be wise to attempt the long journey.

Snow plows could not keep up with the snowfall which lasted all day. We were happy to be able to stick close to our apartment and away from the treacherous roads.

The record snow fall today may have only been outdone by the record stock market fall. Ouch!

A Surprise Reunion

Before his retirement, Elder de Paula had been sent to supervise a Church translation project in Haiti and worked with a young member of the Church there - Brother Bourdeau. Imagine their astonishment as they spotted eachother more that fifteen years later at Church in Long Island New York! Ironically, Brother Bourdeau has family living in our mission ward.

These two caught up on people they worked with on the project and the growth of the Church in Haiti. There are now two stakes in Haiti and Brother Bourdeau was just released as Stake President. It was a sweet reunion for these two brothers in the gospel.

"Endowment From On High"

Temple Preparation Class

Bishop Rathgeber mentioned several months ago to his executive secretary, Elder de Paula, and me that he would like me to teach a temple preparation class in the Bay Shore ward. I LOVE teaching, so I could hardly wait!

The bishop called seven people to attend, eight showed up, and we began last Sunday. The challenge is that there is a former bishopric member and a non-member in this same class.

There is great participation. The non-member loves the class, attends all the church meetings, and has asked the sister missionaries to come to her home. Her husband attends the class and is a faithful member. Somehow it's working. I'll just try to stay out of the way and watch the miracles happen.

"South Pacific" at Lincoln Center

SOME ENCHANTED EVENING

We looked into getting tickets to see South Pacific during the Summer, but if (and that was a really big "if") they were available, they were $600 each. People were even scalping them for more. We laughed at the very thought. We wouldn't pay that much to fly to the south pacific!

We waited for the tourist season to pass and in the meantime our friends, the Wests, informed us of a company that deals in returned event tickets - original purchasers can no longer use the tickets and are willing to get rid of them even at a loss.

We got orchestra section seats on the 5th row for $96 and could see every eye movement and facial expression. The staging was superb and the music was glorious. It was worth the wait:-)

The Passing of a Good Man

We had never met this gentleman, but we knew he must be a good man. We received a called from our stake president telling us that his father had passed away. He got permission from our mission president to ask us if we would play and lead three hymns at the Friday night wake (viewing). We took one of the portable keyboards I use to teach keyboard classes in the church and found our way to the funeral home. This is the third funeral we have participated in for a person we did not know.

President De Rosa's immediate family, all members of the Church, recalled fond memories of their dad and grandpa. The family and congregation sang a patriotic hymn - "My Country 'Tis of Thee" and two Primany songs - "I Am a Child of God" and "Families Can Be Together Forever." Anthony De Rosa was a WWII veteran, a caring husband and father, respected business leader, author, athlete, and life-long Catholic. There was a beautiful feeling of love, respect and camaraderie in that funeral home in Queens, New York that evening. We were thankful for the invitation to serve in such a small way and feel the love of this close family.

"Just One More Picture...Please"

I love these young sister missionaries - Sister Burton and Sister Fordsham. They get along so well and are really a lot like sisters. These two are making so much progress with the people in this area because of their love and service. They've adopted me as their "temporary mom" and I am definitely mom-like! We all love serving in the Bay Shore ward together. They like to have pictures taken and then ask - "Are you going to put this on your blog?" Clever, arent they?

"Riding into the Sunset"

Long Island Sunset

It just seems to be that time of the evening when we make the hour-long journey west along I-495 to one of our Institute teaching assignments. It's hard to capture the true beauty of these magnificent sunsets at 60+ mph in heavy traffic, through a dirty windshield, amongst weaving vehicles. They really are beautiful sights of Long Island.